Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Family movie night? There's an app for that

Download our new mobile app on iOS and Android.

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

The Smoking Gun

By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Ribald celeb voyeurism with puppets; teens and up.

TV Cartoon Network Comedy 2003
The Smoking Gun Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

Like the Web site of the same name, THE SMOKING GUN exploits the hunger for celebrity gossip in a unique way: It focuses on the stories behind publicly available legal documents -- divorce decrees, arrest records, contract stipulations, etc. But the TV show has found a very special way to make legal documents more interesting: puppets. And so, for example, the tale of Richard Simmons' assault incident -- in which he allegedly slapped a man in an airport for making fun of him -- gets crass but hilarious treatment through puppetry. Celebrities aren't the only targets: One segment focused on a random fellow who was attacked by strippers at his bachelor party, rendering him unfit for his wedding-night obligations. The strippers settled out of court, and the man was awarded damages, which -- according to the show -- will go toward a second honeymoon.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Teens with a crude sense of humor will love this show, and parents may get a kick out of it, too. But both should be aware that The Smoking Gun pushes a lot of limits (it's part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup for good reason). Some might see the inspection and exploitation of others' legal documents as an invasion of privacy, and certainly the Web site's collection of mug shots borders on cruel. But others will see the show, and the site, as a way to bring famous folks down to earth and take away some of their power over us.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about celebrity. Is it OK to pry into celebrities' private lives? A little? A lot? Where should we draw the line? What's appealing about finding out details about celebrities' lives? Should celebs' legal documents be available to the public just like everyone else's? What's the value of comedy in our society? What is the value of celebrity?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate